Most children don’t have to be taught to be creative and imaginative. They are innate storytellers and love to share their work with the world. We don’t have to be told that at some point, the world we live in crushes their creative spirit and teaches them to take a few steps back from the deep dive of their internal well of ideas.
But what if we could encourage them to lean into those flashes of inspiration?
I can still remember what it felt like as a young child to make books out of construction paper and crayon drawings. The older I got, I was fortunate enough to have parents and teachers who saw my passion for words and encouraged me. Now, writing is my full-time job – which I’m sure they never fully anticipated.
Encourage a Young Writer
The question is: what can you do to encourage a young writer to stick with the craft? Here are a few things you can do to nurture their creativity.
1. Invest in Their Writing
We’ve all heard the adage to put your money where your mouth is. I think this is also true for our kids who want to learn how to write better. Invest in their writing: buy them that fancy paper, let them shop for craft books on writing, bind their story at Staples so that they can hold the finished pages in their hands, or spend a weekend listening to their storytelling.
Investing doesn’t have to be financial, though it can be. You could hire an editor or book coach to give them a taste of what it’s like to have someone else pay close attention to their words. However, it could be as simple as taking them to the library and investing time into nurturing their sense of creativity.
2. Encourage Reading
You can’t be a good writer without being a good reader. Make time for them to read as many books as they want. Supply them with an endless selection of books that fit into their interests. You don’t necessarily have to buy all of their books, but many young writers will love having a full bookshelf.
If going to the library every week doesn’t fit into your schedule, you can pay for a subscription to Everand or Kindle Unlimited to give them access to a digital library of books without due dates and fines.
3. Set the Stage for Creative Pursuits
Give your child the space and time to work on their craft. This might mean giving them a dedicated space where they can work: a desk, a spot in the living room, or a cozy alcove in your own home office. This lets them know that it’s okay for their writing to take up space and gives them a safe space to unleash their creativity.
While they are in their writing space, respect their time and boundaries. Give them the space to work uninterrupted, but be available for them if they need a brainstorming partner or someone to inspire them.
4. Give Them Space for Journaling
A journal is one of the first introductions that children have to writing for pleasure. It gives them a safe space where they can share their thoughts and reflect on what they have been through and what it all means, which is great fodder for future storytelling.
Respect their privacy and don’t push them to share their journal with you unless they genuinely want to. If they do want to share their writing with you, be encouraging and talk about what those feelings mean and how they can grow and learn from it. Journaling is a lifelong habit that you can nurture at any age.
5. Help Them Write
If you have a very young child who isn’t able to write their own stories yet, give them the gift of knowing that their stories are important. Allow them to dictate their stories while you write them down. Then, they can illustrate the stories on copy paper and you can staple the pages together with a colorful cover.
Before they even learn to read and write on their own, you are giving them the gift of knowing that their work is something of value. Plus, you can help them learn to read by using their writing.
Let this National Encourage a Young Writer Day inspire you to share the gift of storytelling with your little ones. Kids are never too old or too young to experience the magic of sharing a story with the world. Creativity is something that can be taught and nurtured, so think about how you can encourage your child to write more and share their thoughts with the world.
